“The whiteness of the heron is seen clearly only when it spreads its wings and flies.”
The true worth of a person or thing is often recognized only after it is gone or put to the test.
— Traditional Sri Lanka Wisdom, Sri Lanka
Source: Traditional Sri Lankan proverb, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Sri Lanka
A pot that is completely full makes no noise when shaken; a pot only half full rattles loudly.
People with little real knowledge tend to talk the loudest, while those who are truly wise and well-informed stay calm and say little.
You cannot swallow a medicine pill without your own throat knowing it.
A person cannot hide the truth about their own actions from themselves.
Whatever is thrown up into the air must come back down to the ground.
Anything, or anyone, that rises too high or too fast will eventually fall back down.
To the slender loris, her own baby looks like a precious gem.
What appears worthless or plain to others can be dearly precious to the one who loves it.
The bird that keeps jumping from branch to branch to escape the rain ends up soaked through and dies.
Constantly running from a problem instead of facing it directly usually causes greater harm in the end.
What use is the light of a lamp to a person who cannot see?
A gift or piece of advice is wasted on someone who has no way to make use of it.